The Mythical Hero's Otherworld Chronicles: Volume 9 by Tatematsuri

Author:Tatematsuri [TATEMATSURI]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Published: 2024-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

“Now,” Lucia said, “I have a question for you. ’Twould be wise to answer truthfully.”

“Wh-Who told you...? Ngh!” A disconcerting noise issued from Huginn’s chin. The bone had begun to creak, as if it had been trapped in a vise. The pain was agonizing, but Lucia’s grip left her powerless to do any more than groan.

“Who was it that sent you? The empire, perhaps? Or was it Baum?”

“You’ll...get nothing...out of me!”

“Well, well. A spy with some spine. Perhaps losing an arm might loosen your tongue?” Lucia lifted Huginn up by the jaw and drove her against the wall. “I do have a fondness for spirited maidens, ’tis true, but they ought not to test my patience.”

She released Huginn’s neck, only to grasp her uniform collar and smash her into the floor. Air exploded from Huginn’s lungs. She stared back at Lucia, red-faced and gasping for breath, but her will was unbroken.

“You’re made of sterner stuff than most, ’twould seem.” Lucia brought her heel down on Huginn’s stomach as she flicked open her fan. The smile slid from her face, and she looked down with cold, hard eyes. “But fear not. Your resilience shall not go unpunished. You shall entertain my soldiers until you are more willing to talk.”

Huginn squirmed, trying to free herself, but Lucia’s foot did not move an inch.

“You shall be my entertainment for this evening. Do try not to break too easily.”

＊＊＊＊＊

The seventeenth day of the ninth month of Imperial Year 1026

The province of Faerzen had once been a nation powerful enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the empire. With the bountiful Sea of Infini in the north fuelling a thriving seafood trade, Six Kingdoms to the west, and the Grantzian Empire to the east, it was a veritable crossroads between the two halves of Soleil that had once prospered through trade with both. Its defeat at the empire’s hands, however, had caused a breakdown in public order. Now, merchants tended to avoid it, and the fires of war had ravaged both its fertile lands and its people’s hearts. The onetime melting pot of languages and the bustling markets were no more. Its rolling plains had withered and died, leaving no trace of its former glory.

The fighting had been fiercest in Senan, where Faerzen bordered the empire. Again and again, war’s embers had scarred it, reducing the city of Nex to an ashen ruin. Once, it had been known as the gateway to Faerzen, rivaling the royal capital for glory. Now, its streets were deserted.

The city had fallen under the control of the imperial forces in recent days. Tents sprawled as far as the eye could see—the buildings made for poor shelter, as they were liable to collapse at any moment. At the nexus of the streets stood a mansion that had once belonged to the local lord. Two flags fluttered above it: the banner of the empire and the crimson lily of the sixth princess.

A short distance away rose a small hill overlooking the mansion. Before the city fell, it had been a park constructed for the pleasure of the nobility.

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